Only One
by Call-Me-Crazy.Cuz I Am
Summary: Zach cheats on Cammie and then tries to get her back. But will she forgive and forget? and when he suffers a fatal injury, will he even live long enough to get back together with her? We shall see... LAST CHAPTER POSTED!
1. Chapter 1

Zach POV

Cammie looks at me, and there's such disappointment in her clear blue eyes. I can tell that she believed better of me, that she thought I could really be better.

**Broken, this fragile thing now**

**And I can't, I can't pick up the pieces. **

I've always been superman. The guy that could fix everything, who could make the promises and keep them. And that's what I did. I promised her that no girl could ever compare, that I'd never trade her in for a better girl. That there could never be a better girl. At Blackthorne, they teach you how to lie. And apparently, I aced that final.

**And I've thrown my words all around, **

**But I can't, I can't give you a reason. **

At Blackthorne, they also teach you how to kill. Where to aim in order to deliver the fatal blow. I knew that if I went with her, with the woman whose name I can't even remember, it would kill Cammie. But I couldn't listen. I had to be reckless, and now the pictures are all over the Internet. And as I look at the girl I love and see the pain that she doesn't even bother to hide, I feel even more like scum. Looking at her, I realize that I can't fix this. That even if she took me back one day, it would never be the same.

**I feel so broken up (so broken up),**

**And I give up (I give up),**

**I just want to tell you so you know… **

The tears actually spill out now, and she won't even look at me. Shaking her head and looking down, she goes into the bedroom that we share, and about 5 minutes later, comes out with a packed duffel bag.

"I'll be back later for the rest of it." She chokes out. It's like a curtain has lifted out over my brain, and I realize that she's leaving. Cameron Morgan, the girl I love, is leaving me. The tears are running down her face like perfect slivers of melting ice running down a glacier as she looks down at her hand. She stares at the ring on her finger, the blue diamond the color of her eyes that I gave her when I promised her forever and always. As she slips it off and throws it at my head, I can't help but think that forever and always is a very short time.

**Here I go,**

**Scream my lungs out and try to get to you,**

**You are my only one.**

**I let go,**

**There's just no one that gets me like you do**

**You are my only, **

**My only one. **

Without even thinking about it, I tear out the door after her. But they don't her codename isn't Chameleon for funsies. She's disappeared into the Manhattan street. She always lovingly referred to me as the one who saw her. And I do see her. Duffel bag slung over her shoulder, hair blowing in the wind. She looks just like a woman on her way to her friend's for a Girls Night Out. Except she's not.

**Made my mistakes, let you down**

**And I can't, I can't hold on for too long.**

**Ran my whole life in the ground**

**And I can't, I can't get up when you're gone. **

**And something's breaking up (breaking up),**

**I feel like giving up (like giving up),**

**I won't walk out until you know...**

**Here I go**

**Scream my lungs out and try to get to you,**

**You are my only one.**

**I let go**

**There's just no one that gets me like you do**

**You are my only, **

**My only one. **

When she and Macey come back to get the rest of her stuff, she still won't look at me. And perhaps it's best that way. Because if she looks at me, I'll fall in love with her all over again. And I can't let myself hurt her anymore. Macey won't talk to me, and I think that Liz refused to let Bex come, because **she** would murder me in a second. And I would deserve it. Macey comes up to me and hands me a folded piece of paper.

" Go die in a HOLE, Zachary Goode! You deserve so much for hurting my friend; no, for hurting my sister, and for taking advantage of how much she loves you. Yeah, loves. She still does. And for that? I hope you step on a anthill in the middle of the Sahara when it's pitch black and no one can hear you scream! " Macey hisses at me. She flips me off as she grabs Cammie's hand and leads her away.

I spend 30 minutes preparing myself emotionally for the letter. Eventually, I decide to be a man and open it. After I've read it, my world come crashing down around me

**Here I go,**

**So dishonestly.**

**Leave a note**

**For you my only one.**

**And I know,**

**You can see right through me.**

**So let me go**

**And you will find someone**.

_Dear Zach, It_ says.

_ Well done. You played the game well. I mean, for a moment, you actually had me convinced that you were better. That you could be happy with me and only me. But I was wrong. So, so wrong. You screwed with my emotions daily, Zachary. And for what? I've just gotta ask, was she worth it? Was the girl in the bar worth destroying our entire relationship, gaining some lethal enemies (Bex and Macey are currently devising a plan to slip a cruel, painful poison into your morning coffee. Be careful what you drink.), and making sure I will never be able to trust another guy again? I hope she was, so that you can find some happiness from this. Zach, cut the crap. You don't give about my feelings or me, don't even pretend that you do. If you did, you wouldn't have gone for the first ditzy blonde who offered. So just let me go. Don't come after me, don't think about me, don't wonder what I'm doing. Focus your energy on finding a girl who you can stay faithful to, who you can love like she deserves; I obviously wasn't her. _

_ Love, _

_ Cammie_

I lie on our couch, crying silently. The one girl that I loved, that I respected, was gone. I had broken her heart like it was a glass ball. I dialed Macey's penthouse apartment 19 times, but each time, all I got was the machine. I roamed the streets, screaming for her. But there was never an answer. I've lost my only one. And now? What do I have? A guilty conscience and a weight on my shoulders that will never be lifted.

**Here I go,**

**Scream my lungs out and try to get to you,**

**You are my only one.**

**I let go,**

**There's just no one, no one like you**

**You are my only, **

**My only one.**

**My only one**

**My only one**

**My only one**

**You are my only, **

**My only one.**

My Cams. My Gallagher Girl. My only one.


	2. author's notePLEASE READ!

Guys, I need your help: do you want me to continue this story? I've got some ideas on where to take it, but I wanna know ur guys's thoughts. Please review or pm me with your opinion..thanks!


	3. Chapter 3

**A.N. Hey guys, since so many of you put story alerts or reviewed telling me to make this a multi, this is for y'all. It was originally meant to be a oneshot, but since y'all want it, here she is! **

Cammie POV:

I move my legs slowly, up and down, pushing myself back and forth on the creaky swing. My phone rings, and I look down at the caller ID. It shows a picture of Zach, one of him smiling and looking at the camera with eyes full of love. Where did all of that love go? We were the couple, the ones who where supposed to be together forever. A little girl with two missing teeth and blonde pigtails runs in front of my swing, holding hands with a green-eyed boy who looks so much like a little Zach, I start tearing up.

**It's a shame that it had to be this way**

**It's not enough to say I'm sorry**

**It's not enough to say I'm sorry**

Maybe this is my fault. I mean, he's Zachary Freaking Goode. When I met him, he had to blonde bimbos on each arm and still tried to charm me into bed. But that isn't the real Zach. I know the real one. And for a second, I thought that he could be that Zach all the time. But old habits die hard. And apparently, so do old feelings. Because I still feel so much love for Zachary Goode. And that's the problem. Goodbye was where we needed to go. I was only hurting myself in this relationship. We're better off separate. Right?

**Maybe I'm to blame**

**Or maybe we're the same**

**But either way I can't breathe**

**Either way I can't breathe**

**All I had to say is goodbye**

**We're better off this way**

**We're better off this way **

I push myself harder on the swing, listening to the wind whistling in my ears. I want it to drown out the pounding of my heart, of my brain, of my regret. Because I do regret leaving Zach. If only because I know that he can change. He just doesn't want to. He doesn't want to change for me. And that's the thought that seems to be slowly stealing all of my will. What really gets me is that Zach and I crossed every mountain possible in our relationship. Jealous exes, lies, near pregnancies, everything. He said that he'd been through so much with me that leaving me would be like leaving a part of his heart behind. I guess I'll have to add that to the list of lies Zachary Goode has told me. And I hate it. I hate that he has so much control over my emotions. I hate that I gave it to him. I hate how much I lost when I lost him. But I don't hate him. I can't.

**I'm alive but I'm losing all my drive**

**Cause everything we've been through**

**And everything about you**

**Seemed to be a lie**

**A guiltless twisted lie**

**It made me learn to hate you**

**Or hate myself for letting it pass by**

**All I had to say is goodbye**

**We're better off this way**

**We're better off this way**

**All I had to say is goodbye**

**We're better off this way**

**We're better off this way **

And as if he was summoned by my thoughts, Zachary Goode himself appears in front of my swing. He grabs the rusty chains that attach the seat to the bar and stops me.

"Cammie…We need to talk," he says quietly. I don't even validate it with a response ; I simply get up and start to walk away. But I don't get far. Zach wraps his arms around my waist and lifts me up. Carrying me bridal style, he starts walking away.

"What are you doing, Zachary Goode?" I say, fighting to keep my voice calm.

" I'm having a conversation with the beautiful, amazing girl who I recently hurt beyond words. Look, Cammie, I promise, I thought about you the whole time I was with her.

"But it wasn't me, Zach. No matter what you thought. That girl, the one you screwed around with, WASN'T ME." I say bitterly.

"There was so much I didn't get to tell you. Cammie, please. Can't you understand that I've really changed?" Zach says pleadingly.

"People don't change in a week, Zach," I say, adding a joyless chuckle. "It doesn't matter what you say, you can't fix this one. I promise you that."

**And every, everything isn't only what it seemed **

**So hold these**

**Words that you never told me**

**It's time to say goodbye**

**It's time to say goodbye**

**It's time to say goodbye**

**Goodbye **

Tears started streaming down my face like individual rivers flowing down a craggy, ice capped mountain.

"ZACH, DON'T YOU GET? WE WON'T BE THE SAME! YOU SCREWED ME, OUR RELATIONSHIP, EVERYTHING. AND FOR WHAT? CAN YOU EVEN REMEMBER HER NAME? DO YOU EVEN NOW WHERE SHE LIVES?" The look on his face is answer enough.

"So you threw it all away for a girl you can't even remember now?" I shake my head. I pull his arms away from me and drop on the ground. Getting up, I run and run until the park is far away, and so is Zachary Goode. But then my phone rings.

It's Liz. "Hey, Lizzy," I say, trying to sound upbeat for her sake.

"Cammie?" Liz says. I can tell by her voice that she's crying.

"Lizzy, what's wrong? What's up?" I say cautiously.

"It's Zach, Cammie. He's in the Intensive Care Unit."

**A.N. Mwhahahahahah! Did you guys enjoy your cliffhanger? Will Cammie take Zach back? Will Zach even survive? How will Macey and the other girls react? **Spoiler Alert** Josh is going to be coming back to the story very soon….you guys wanna read it? Then hit the pretty button at the bottom of the page, children. I will not update until I get 5 new reviews…**


	4. Chapter 4

A.N. Hey kids, this is the chappie you've all been waiting for! I own nothing except for the story line….and be prepared to cry, kiddoes, cuz it's about to get real sad, real fast! Read and Review! Thx!

Zach POV:

I open my eyes, and all I see is white. White sheet, white walls, white tiles. The only color comes from a monitor to my right, which shows a zigzagging red line. The monitor starts beeping as I stretch out my legs, and a chubby, blonde woman with a nametag that says _Dr. Blakely. _

"Hello, Mr. Goode, " Dr, Blakely says. "I trust you're comfortable?"

I nod my head. " Yeah, I'm fine."

"No, you're not, Mr. Goode. You were in an accident, and you broke four of your ribs. And that's the good news. "

I hold my breath, waiting for the bad news. "Do you know what a Brain Hemhorrhage is?" Dr. Blakely asks me. I shake my head. "It's generally caused by head trauma. It happens when a blood vessel in the brain bursts. The blood starts to pool, affecting the tissue and the normal blood circulation to the brain. It can cause an anyerusim, and most patients die. I'm so sorry, Mr. Goode, but with there's only so much we can do. And with the hemhorrage already so developed, I'm afraid you probably won't live to see your next birthday.

"So how long do I have?" I say, surprised at how calm I am.

"If you're lucky? Six months. If we're talking realistically? Maybe three weeks. Most likely? Seven days. We can prolong it if you're comfortable with staying in ICU"

I cut her off. "No. I'm not going spend my last week in a hospital room."

"Are you sure, Mr. Goode? We can release you later today if you're positive, but this could be the last chance you have."

"I'm postivie, but, can I call someone?" I ask.

Five minutes later, Macey McHenry walks into the room.

"Don't expect me to cry over you," she says flatly.

"Look, Macey, I'm gonna die. I probably won't live longer than a week. " I say. I can see her face change, the horror and sadness in her eyes.

"A week?" she asks, her voice shaking.

I nod. " And no matter what I did, I can't die without Cammie. Without knowing that she forgives and loves me. So, I'm asking for your help."

Macey sits down and runs her fingers through her short black hair. " What do you mean?"

"I mean, you need to help me get Cammie back. I don't care if you hate me, or if you think that I deserve this. I can't die without her. Please, Macey. With all the crap I put her through, I wouldn't ask if I wasn't serious. I need her, Macey. Please."

"Fine, Zach. I'll help you. But only because you're right. You can't die without her." Macey gets up and walks out of the room, leaving me smiling. Although I'm gonna die, I will die with Cammie loving me. And her love, her smiles, her trust, is worth death.

**A.N. So whatcha think, duckies? Sad? Please review and tell me, especially if you cried, because I would like to know if this was as heartbreaking for you to read as it was for me to write….five reviews til next chap. Bye!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A.N. ** Hey guys! Thanks for reviewing and alerting! Here is the next chapter…

**Day One: **

Third Person POV:

Zach wakes up with a smile on his face. Having a set number of days to live gave him a new perspective. It showed him what his reason for living, for giving up whatever time he had left was: Cammie Morgan. (A.N. remember this, as it will come up back into play on around 6 chapters mwahahahaha) He stretches his legs and got out of the bed. He winces as his head started pounding. It felt like a knife has been shoved into the soft tissue around his brain, and now it was being twisted slowly, farther into him. He sighs, and reminds himself: It's all for Cammie.

Cammie shakes her head. "Absolutely not, Mace!"

Macey sighs. "Cam, come on! " She thrusts the dress back into Cammie's face. "It's adorable, and you will look hot beyond belief!"

"Macey, I am sick. I have the flu. The guy that I love is in the hospital. I. Am. Not. Going. Wherever. You. Want. Me. To." Cammie says.

"If you come with me, I'll take you to RaYo afterwards," Macey says.

Cammie raises an eyebrow. "Take me to RaYo AND let me wear sweats," She says.

"Fine, but only if you where the black ones," Macey sighs. Cammie grins and goes to grab the sweats.

"So how is Zach?" Cammie says conversationally, but Macey isn't fooled.

"Your love is fine. They released him yesterday," Macey says, not looking at Cammie. It kills her to lie to her, especially about something like Zach's imminent death, but she has to.

"Oh. Okay," Cammie says. "Now, where are we going?" Macey grins and pulls Cammie to the car.

" No, no, no, no, NO, Macey McHenry!" Cammie says once Macey's Mercedes pulls up at a small sing-along pub. "You know this is where Zach and I used to hang out!" Cammie accuses. Macey simply smiles and pulls Cammie inside.

The pub is quiet and musty. A fiddle player bows out a lonely melody on the small stage, and the murmurs of couples chatting add a comforting air to the small room. Macey and Cammie sit at a small table in the corner and order two glasses of honey mead (A.N. Sorry but I had to put that in…it's from one of my favorite books,)

"So, who's performing today?" Cammie asks Macey.

Macey grins impishly. "You know him," She says.

"I do? Wh-" She starts, but she's interrupted by the sound of clapping. She looks up at the stage, and almost immediately turns back and glares at Macey. If looks could kill, Macey McHenry would be slowly dying on the floor of the dark pub. Macey tries to look innocent, but both she and Cammie know that she's the reason why Cammie is sitting there while Zachary Goode walks onto the stage.

"Hey guys," He says, calm as ever, his smirk plastered on his face. Cammie gets up to leave, but Macey pulls her back down.

"Oh, heck, no, Cams. I did NOT let you wear sweats for you to just get up and leave. Abso-Freaking-Loutley not." She hisses, pulling her back into her chair.

"Okay, guys. A couple years ago, I met this girl. Her name was Cammie Morgan." Zach says, and Cammie gasps. "And I fell in love with that girl." Awws echo from all over the room. "But, I'm just gonna be honest right now, I'm an idiot. I screwed her over. She's a photographer-that's how we met-and she had to go to Greece to do a shot for National Geographic. And being away from her for so long, I got so lonely and depressed. My friends all saw it, and they tried to help. They threw me a party, and things got a little out of control. There was this girl who looked a little bit like Cammie, and…I just lost it. This wasn't the first time I'd done something like this, but it was the first time she actually left. She left. The girl I love left because I was a stupid douche bag and couldn't show her the real me. The guy that I actually was. So now, she's here. At that table over there." Zach points to Cammie and Macey. Almost every eye in the pub turns to give Cammie a looking over, but she doesn't even notice. Tears are starting to well up in her blue eyes as she looks at Zach. "And I want to tell her what I couldn't. So, here goes." Zach pulls the mike out of the stand, and the band starts playing a slow, sad, meandering tune. He closes his eyes and starts to sing.

_You give me chances and I let you down_

_You waited for words that I couldn't get out_

_I have no excuses for the way that I am_

_I was clueless then, I couldn't understand_

_That all that you wanted _

_And all that you needed_

_Was a side of me I never let you see_

_And I wish I could love you_

_And make you believe it_

_Because that all you ever wanted_

_It's all you ever wanted, _

_From me, from me_

_Could I be selfish, or Lost in my pride_

_Afraid to be forward or just too scared to try_

_And now I'm without you, and it took distance to see_

_That losing you, means losing everything_

_When all that you wanted _

_And all that you needed_

_Was a side of me I never let you see_

_And I wish I could love you_

_And make you believe it_

_Because that all you ever wanted_

_It's all you ever wanted from me_

_And is it too late and are you too far_

_To turn around and let me be... let me be_

_All that you wanted_

_And all that you needed_

_I'll show the side of me I never let you see_

_I wish I could love you_

_And make you believe it_

_Because that's all you ever wanted_

_That's all you ever wanted_

_And that's all you ever wanted_

_It's all you ever wanted_

_From me_

_Oh, from me_

Cammie is full on crying now, the tears dripping down her face and glittering in the light. She runs onto the stage and flings herself into Zach's arms, not noticing how he winces. She wraps her legs around his waist and kisses him fully, on the lips, tears streaming down her face. The crowd cheers and wolf whistles as he kisses her back, pulling her closer to him, ignoring the pain that shoots through his brain. They're startled out of their own little word by the sound of a huge wail. Macey McHenry is bawling her eyes out, heedless of the mascara that is streaming down her face.

"Y-y-you g-guys a-are s-s-so s-s-s-stupid!" She cries. Cammie and Zach look at each other and start cracking up. And for a moment, everything is well. But then another wave of pain shoots through Zach's brain, and he cries out loud. Cammie looks at him questioningly and he shakes his head. Even though he'll die in six days, this feeling of being with Cammie is worth it. It's so, so, so worth it.

**A.N. Guys, I'm really insecure about this chapter, so please tell me honestly what you think in the review that you will hopefully give me! Bye! **


	6. Chapter 6

**A.N. Sup, young ones. I heart you for reviewing and alerting and reading and all of the other wonderful thinks y'all do. Here is the next chapter, and just to give you a heads up, the next ones are going to be pretty short as I go through the remaining days of Zach's life…and that's a bit depressing, so I'm just gonna say have fun reading! **

**Day 2 **

Zach POV:

Cammie giggles as I tuck another wildflower into her hair. We've driven out to Charleston for the day, and right now, we lay, drenched in sunlight, underneath a large green ash. She sighs, and I have to agree with her. Everything is perfect. Everything except for a) the stabbing pain in my mind, and b) the lingering suspicion that I've still left something unsaid.

"Cam?" I say, turning to her.

"Yes?" she says, looking at me, a smile in her eyes.

"Those 72 hours I had to live without you were hell," I say. She smiles again, but this one is sad. "And I want you to know that I understand now. That I realize why what I did hurt you so much. I know why I need to be better. Before, I knew why I needed to be better, as well. But this time, I have a reason." I say. A song pops into my head, and I start humming it because…well, it mirrors the moment.

**I'm not a perfect person**

**There's many things I wish I didn't do**

**But I continue learning**

**I never meant to do those things to you**

**And so I have to say before I go**

**That I just want you to know**

**I've found a reason for me**

**To change who I used to be**

**A reason to start over new**

**and the reason is you**

**I'm sorry that I hurt you**

**It's something I must live with everyday**

**And all the pain I put you through**

**I wish that I could take it all away**

**And be the one who catches all your tears**

**Thats why i need you to hear**

**I've found a reason for me**

**To change who I used to be**

**A reason to start over new**

**and the reason is You**

**and the reason is You **_**[x3]**_

**I'm not a perfect person**

**I never meant to do those things to you**

**And so I have to say before I go**

**That I just want you to know**

**I've found a reason for me**

**To change who I used to be**

**A reason to start over new**

**and the reason is you**

**I've found a reason to show**

**A side of me you didn't know**

**A reason for all that I do**

**And the reason is you **

I don't realize I've sung it aloud until Cammie's lips are on mine and the taste of her tears is fresh on my tongue.

"I love you so much, you stupid but hole, and that song is just perfect," she sobs. She doesn't now exactly how perfect it really is, and I don't tell her. It will ruin the five days we have left, and I'm not willing to give those up. I hold her in my arms, stroke her hair, and watch the sun set. Her breathing slows as I hold her, and all is right with the world. But the blazing red light from the sun seems to expand over my eyes (A.n. Oh shiznit what's happening to Zach? Mmwahahahaha) and the last thing I see before it all goes black is Cammie Morgan's beautiful, tearstained face. The last thing I hear is her screaming my name.

**A.n. So how much do you hate me for that cliffhanger? I'm not gonna torture you with my usual banter, but I am gonna do this: I don't mean to be spoiled or ungrateful cuz I really am for all of your reviews, but if I don't get 10 by the end of the week, I will wait a week to update. Yes, you read that right. I will make you guys wait an entire week to figure out if Zach is alive or not, and I will not give out any teasers, spoiler alerts, or sneak peeks. Sound Bad? Then press the little button at the bottom of the page, kids. The sooner you review, the sooner Zach lives…or dies. MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A.N. Hey guys! Wow, I didn't know y'all could review that fast! I'm really happy though! You made my week! Here is the next chapter, and I've gotta say two things: A) the song featured is Untitled by Simple Plan, and I would recomed having it playing as you read. B) You should probably have a box of tissues by your side as you read, cuz kids, it's bout to go all Titanic on you. I own nothing, and please review and tell me if you cried! **

Cammie POV:

Zach and I are driving back from Virginia, and I honestly can't remember being happier. After his little fainting spell, I wanted to rent a hotel and stay in for the night, but Zach insisted we drive, and though I'd never admit it, I'm happy I gave in. We're on our way through Maryland now, and my heart swells every time he looks at me. The radio is softly playing a love song, and everything is going how I want it to. We cross a busy freeway, and the lights from the oncoming traffic light up the dark truck. I hum along with the stereo, stopping every few seconds to gaze at Zach happily. He catches me the last time I look and smiles, his all-famous smirk dancing on his lips.

"Camester, what's up? Have you finally decided to-" He doesn't get to finish the sentence. A semi-truck slams into my side of the car, crushing the vehicle and throwing me into oblivion.

I can't open my eyes, but I see a white light that burns my eyelids and at the same time numbs my senses. The last thing I remember is laying with Zach underneath the green ash, giggling and talking about random, stupid things.

**I open my eyes  
I try to see but I'm blinded by the white light  
I can't remember how  
I can't remember why  
I'm lying here tonight**

I hear sirens in the distance, and I smell something that I think is gasoline. The pain is like a wool blanket covering my senses, and everything seems muted, dulled. Everything except for the searing fire that's consuming my raw flesh. I can't deal with it, and a scream pulls it way up, out of my stomach. But not out of my mouth. It stops halfway, when it's lodged in my mouth, and it feels like a knife has been cruelly shoved in my esophagus. Actually, right now, I feel the same pain I felt when I found out about Zach and the girl. Except, this is worse.

**And I can't stand the pain  
And I can't make it go away  
No I can't stand the pain **

What did I do? I wonder as a blaring red ambulance comes into my line of vision. The driver from the other semi truck lies near me, groaning. Even in my wounded state, I can see that he is drunk. And an earlier conversation comes back to me.

"_Cam, how do you want to die?" Zach asked me as he pushed me on the rickety swing hanging in front of our old high school. _

"_I don't know," I said, surprised. "But I know I want to be with someone I love. Oh, and I don't want to die from drunk driving." _

"_I want to die in combat. Or for something I believe in. Something that's worth dying for." Zach says, and then pauses. " Cammie. Why don't you want to die from drunk driving?" he says finally. _

"_It's how my parents died. And I can't stand to think that one person's bad decision can ruin the life of countless others, you know?" I say quietly. He nods and pushes me gentler. A tear slips down my face. _

I'm not going to get that wish. Because as I lay here, I can tell that I'm close. That the threshold between life and death is precariously near. The night seems endless as I'm loaded on a stretcher and placed in the back of the ambulance. Tears slowly fall down my bloody, scarred face. I'm sobbing, shoulders shaking, breaths shaky and detached. I know I made some mistakes. Like lying to Liz about Jonas's fling. Or stealing Macey McHenry's favorite shoes. Or not enjoying every millisecond I got to spend with Zachary Goode. But right now, I'm tired. I'm so tired of this life. I want to leave. I sob again, and wonder why.

**How could this happen to me  
I made my mistakes  
I've got no where to run  
The night goes on  
As I'm fading away  
I'm sick of this life  
I just wanna scream  
How could this happen to me **

Zach POV:

Screams seem to erupt out of nowhere. Some Cammie's, which cut me like steel knives. Some the drivers. But none are mine. I'm not badly hurt at all, even though it's my second car accident in three days. In fact, I'm so well off that the paramedics don't even treat me while they load Cammie into an ambulance. So I watch. I watch as my Only One is carefully loaded up into the truck, and I want to scream. I want to do anything except just stare at them. I try to, but I'm drowned out. Tears silently drip down my face as I see her, pale, broken, and bloody. I feel myself slipping away, because I'm sure she's dead, and if she's dead, what reason do I have to live?

**Everybody's screaming  
I try to make a sound but no one hears me  
I'm slipping off the edge  
I'm hanging by a thread  
I wanna start this over again **

I want to go back to when we were just two crazy kids, madly in love. When it didn't matter where we worked or how long we were apart. When we were just happy to be together. I want to freeze that time and live in it forever. But I can't. I can't fix this, and I can't fix all of the other shit I've put Cammie through. No matter what I want.

**So I try to hold onto a time when nothing mattered  
And I can't explain what happened  
And I can't erase the things that I've done  
No I can't  
**How could this happen to her? I scream in my mind as I rush to the hospital. I'm the one who fucked everything up. I'm the one who ran our life together in the ground. But she's the one laying inches from death. And I've got to stay and watch.

**How could this happen to me  
I made my mistakes  
I've got no where to run  
The night goes on  
As I'm fading away  
I'm sick of this life  
I just wanna scream  
How could this happen to me  
**

I see her now, pale against the white sheets. The glass wall between us seems to weigh a thousand pounds as I press my palms against the smooth surface. Doctors and nurses swarm the room like busy bees. I stand stock still, waiting for the verdict. But I find I'm not ready when the doctor comes.

"Mr. Goode?" he says timidly.

" How is she?" I say, not taking my eyes off of her for a second.

"You love her, don't you?" He says sadly.

` "Yes. I do. Now how is she?"

"Ms. Morgan…I'm sorry, Mr. Goode. But she probably will not make it through the night.

"No," I say simply.

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Goode. We're doing all we can, but…" the poor man stutters.

"NO! JUST FUCKING NO! SHE'S GONNA BE FINE!" I scream at him. I'm suddenly furious, and I have no idea how to deal with it. Glaring at the man, I stalk away. As I walk, I slam my fist into the plaster that lines the wall. And then, I cry. I just let it all go and sob. How I am supposed to live without her? How could this happen?

**I made my mistakes  
I've got no where to run  
The night goes on**

**As I'm fading away  
I'm sick of this life  
I just wanna scream  
How could this happen to me **

**A.N. So whatcha think? Was it sad? Did you cry? Tell mother! Since I'm evil, ten reviews til I update! In that time, Cammie could have lived or died! So review, and end the suspense!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A.N. hey children! How's it going? Are you well? I am….well, sorta. I've got drama with one of my best friends and her boyfriend, who is a lying, probably cheating, douche baggy scum pile. But, enough about me (although, if you wanna hear about that, pm me-I will be more than happy to vent to you :D). Here is the next chapter, though, so read and review! **

Zach POV:

I sit in the hospital room, holding Cammie's hand and trying to keep the hot tears that are gathering behind my eyes at bay. She looks so beautiful and peaceful, that I almost feel bad when I wish for her to wake up.

"Hey, Camster," I say, trying to keep my voice normal. "So, Macey and Bex are hunting down the driver who hit you….and they've already gotten permission from the CIA to use an illegal poison whenever nessecary. That dude should be crapping his pants right now. " Her eyelids flutter, and encouraged, I keep talking. "Cammie? I love you. I always have, even though I haven't always been the smartest about showing it to you. But right now, I think I've finally gotten it right. I think you finally know how much I care about you, and how my life depends on yours. And I want you to have a way to remember that, even if….I'm not always there to tell you." I say. She doesn't know about the blood that's currently flooding through my brain, and I intend to keep it that way. "So, Cameron Morgan, will you help me change my life by marrying me?" my voice breaks on the last word, and I thank my lucky stars that she's not there to tease me about it. "Let's just pretend you can hear what I'm saying, and have just said yes." I slide the bright blue diamond ring on her finger, and kiss her knuckles.

"Promise?" I hear a very quiet, scratchy voice say. "Promise that I will make your life better?"

My heart soars and does cartwheels when I realize that it's Cammie who's spoken.

"I promise, CammieBear. I promise," I say , emotion creeping into my every word.

"Then of course I'll marry you, dumb ass." She says, and her eyes open for a second. It's not long, but still, I can glimpse her sapphire blues. I grin, even though I have so much to be unhappy with. I smile because she's alive. I smile because she just told me in the surest way possible that she loves me and will always do so. I smile because, now, I will die knowing that Cammie Morgan loves me. And she'll die wearing my ring. The thought that, though I will most likey die in four days, I might still outlive Cammie is almost unbearable, although, if she dies, at least I will have the promise of a quick escape. The knowledge that I won't be far behind her comforts me. So when she closes her eyes with a slight smile on her lips and the machines she's hooked up to start beeping, I do freak out. But I keep that one fact in mine. When the doctor ushers me out, and I have to watch through the glass window, where I see her flatline once, twice, three times, I don't go crazy and start punching things like I did last time. I know that wherever she goes, I will follow her. And the knowledge that I will never truly be far away from Cammie Morgan, sustains me.

**A.N. So, did you like it? As you can probably tell, I'm in a bit of a melancholy mood, but mother still wants to know what you think, so REVIEW! Ten til I update!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A.N. Hey guys! I am super sorry that I haven't updated this story a lot, but…see, I write new chapters when I get inspired, and I just really haven't been feeling Only One for a bit, with all of my other stories and all. But I've got an idea, so expect some updates! Oh, and a) Only One is only gonna have eleven chapters, so this is third to last, and b) I always give you guys warnings when it's about to get super sad, and…well, you're gonna want to have a box of tissues, a container of Golden Oreos, and a cup of tea when you read this! **

Third Person POV:

Zach sit alone at an empty table in the hospital cafeteria. He holds a cup of raspberry tea in his hands, and is lost in his thoughts. The doctor had said that Cammie would pull through, most likely, and now his only worry was whether or not he would. When she lingered on death's door, life had almost been simpler. But know, Dr. Blakely had told him about a surgery that could prevent his death. And he'd told her to go along with it. So he was no longer a day away from death. He just didn't know how in the world he was going to tell Cammie. He sighs and takes a sip of his tea. The sweet taste reminds him of Cammie, and he laughs at himself again. God, no matter what they went through, Cammie Morgan had him totally and irreparably whipped. And he loved every second of it. He takes another drink, and looks up, startled, as someone pokes his leg.

"Hi," The little girl says. Her hair is blonde and in two little braids, and there's a space in between her front to teeth.

"Hi," He smiles at her. Practically no one knew it, but he loved kids. And, the little girl reminds him of Cam.

"You have really pretty eyes," She says solemnly. "And you smirk a lot,"

Yeah, this girl definitely reminded him of her. "Thanks. And my girlfriend says the exact same thing," He tells her.

The little girl smiles. "I'm Willa,"

"I'm Zach," he smiles back.

"Where's your girlfriend?"

"She's, um, getting better," He danced over the question. "Where are your parents?"

"Well, my daddy gets mad a lot. And when he gets mad, he hits my mommy. Yesterday, he got really, really, really, really mad, so he hit her super duper hard. And she isn't waking up. So my babysitter took me and my mommy to the hospital, and I think she's getting better, too." Willa says.

Zach doesn't know how to respond, but he's saved from doing it when a chubby, dark haired nurse comes running up. " Mr. Goode? We need you," She says, out of breath.

"Okay, I'm coming. Bye, Willa," He waves at her, following the nurse. Willa waves back smiling, and he decides that if she ends up in foster care, he's going to adopt her.

"So, how's her mother?" He asks the nurse.

"She's gone, but we just don't know how to tell her. She's such a sweet little girl; it would break her heart to find out that she's dead. But, I came to notify you about Ms. Morgan."

"How…how is she?" He says, almost afraid to know the answer.

"She's…. She's not good. I think you'd better see her. It might…it might be the last time." She tells him sadly.

******************************TIME SKIP*****************************

Zach POV:

"Hey, Camster," I say, holding her hand and trying to keep the tears back.

"Hey, Blackthorne Boy," She says weakly. Her hair is splayed around her like she's sleeping beauty, and her skin is pale, pale enough so that she looks to be a part of the white bed on which she lays. It's translucent enough so that I can see the veins stretching all around her body. Hot tears begin to seep out my eyes, and I force myself to keep calm.

"I love you, Cam. You know that, right?"

"Yeah. Of course I do. And I love you as well." She murmurs.

"Good. Although, how could you not? I am just that Goode," I joke feebly.

She smiles at me, but her eyes are sunken and she looks tired.

"Hey, Zach? How many kids do you want?" She asks me.

"Um…I think maybe three or four. Why?"

"They ran some tests to see if the drugs they're using are compatible to my body. And they found something. They found a fetus,"

"A baby?" I say, dumbstruck.

"Yep. I'm about eight months," She smiles at me. She definitely doesn't look it, but I remember that sometimes, you don't know you're pregnant until you give birth.

"Cam? Where do you want to live?" I ask her, carefully. Tears are literally obscuring my line of sight as I think about all I'm going to lose.

"Um…I've always had this crazy dream about living in Tuscany. Like, in a renovated caste, or something." She says thoughtfully.

"Hmm…I'll see what I can do, Gallagher Girl," I chuckle. I'm not kidding, though. If she wants to live in a castle, she's going to live with a castle, even if it kills me.

"Zach?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm going to die in about three and a half minutes." She says it so calmly, so nonchalantly that I don't flip until I actually process what she just said.

"Cam, don't say that. You're going to be fine. Dr. Johansen said so-"

"Zachary Goode, you talk too much. I can tell, somehow. I just know that I'm going to leave in about three minutes. So, I love you. And I love Christian, who is, by the way, the baby growing inside of me. "

I don't even try anymore. The tears stream, and my tough guy façade disappears like dandelion spores on a windy day.

"Zach, when I'm gone, I want you to be happy. So find another girl. Adopt a child. Take care of Christian, if… if he doesn't die with me. Promise me that you'll move on. That you'll find a way to carry on."

"Cam…how can I move on? How am I supposed to live without my sun? Without my heart?"

"Zach, you will. Two of us can't die today. You will go on. You have to go on. Please. For me." She says, and then she closes her eyes.

"Cam? Cam? CAMMIE?" I scream. "NO, PLEASE DON'T GO! PLEASE!"

**A.N. So I showed my mom this story and she read it. When she was done, she looked at me and said, "Are you a happy child?" Please review and tell me if a) you agree with her, and b) you have any cheesy lines you want to appear in the next few chapters. Oh, and if you want Christian to live. And, spoiler alert, Zach is going to adopt Willa, but he might have to find a woman to help him with her….**


	10. Epilouge Part 1

A.N. I own nothing except for the story line. Review, because this is the Penultimate Chapter! It's gonna skip like around a couple years with each line break. Virtual Cookie to the anonymous reviewer Forever and Always, congrats, you were the only one who guessed that I based it off the song! Good for You! And, Kids, in the reviews, some of you are saying that you're going to freak out and have a nervous breakdown if Cam dies? Well, prepare for your breakdown, children.

Zach held the struggling baby boy in his arms. He was overwhelmed with a hatred he'd never felt before, not even for that Jimmy kid. The doctors had told him that Cammie's body created a special toxin in order to feed and help grow her baby. And this toxin had prevented the cure from working. If she hadn't been pregnant, she would have lived. If she hadn't been pregnant, she would have lived. This thing in his arms, this creature, had killed her. A lump choked his throat, and hot tears threatened to spill out over his eyes. He glared at the child with revulsion and prepared to hand him back to the smiling nurse, to tell her that he didn't want it.

And then Christian Jacob Goode opened his eyes for the very first time. Zach looked down at him as he cooed, enjoying the bright lights, and almost dropped him. He had bright blue eyes. Cammie's bright blue eyes. They were exactly like hers, down to the thick lashes and the way they twinkled in the neon lighting. This child, who had killed her, was given her eyes. Looking into them was like having her back, even if it was just for a small time. Christian smiled, and Zach felt a wave of love wash over him, stronger that he'd ever felt before, only surpassed by what he'd felt for Cammie. He had her eyes. He had her back, even if it was just in a small, miniscule way.

**LINE BREAK!**

Zach smiled up at the building. It had been crumbling apart when he'd bought it, but now? Now it was amazing. Just looking at it made his heart pound with pride. And love. And sadness. The Tuscany air in his nostrils tasted of honey and grapes, and he couldn't help but feel sad that his Gallagher Girl wasn't with him.

"Daddy? Is that it?" Willa whispered at his side.

"Yeah, baby. That's Cam's Castle," He said, pointing to the actual castle that gleamed in the sunlight. It had been her last wish, to live in a castle in Tuscany. And he'd finally made that wish come true, like he promised himself he would.

**LINE BREAK!**

"Daddy? Where's my momma?" Willa asked curiously. Zach sighed. After Cammie's death, he had adopted the spunky five years old. She was six now, and never stopped asking questions.

"Your mom's gone, Wills. She died when you were very young," He said, holding her tiny hand in his large warm one. It was Before-Bed-Question-Time, and Willa was asking about her mother. Again.

"Did you love my momma?" Willa asked.

"Yes, Willa. I loved her." Zach said, and the tears came. He'd thought that he'd finally over come his every present urge to cry, but apparently he was wrong. "She was my sun in the sky. She was the music coming from the heavens. She was the light in my darkness. And she was the hope in my loneliness. But I lost her," He finished quietly.

"Daddy?"

"Yes, Wills?"

"I love you," she said carefully.

"I love you too, Wills," He says, trying to hide his tears from her. She surprises him with a soft kiss on the cheek, and he can feel himself slowly break. He kisses her forehead and then turns off Christian's light. Why did she have to go? He wonders as he lies down, preparing for another night awake. Only then did he realize that they hadn't been talking about the same girl.

**LINE BREAK!**

"Hey, Cam," He whispered as he laid the bouquet on her grave. The stone is marble and white, layered with roses from his monthly visit.

"Christian started walking," He said. "And Willa really likes you. She thinks you're…um, I think "cooler than Justin Beiber" was her exact phrase," he laughed. Standing their, telling her about his life, made him feel like she was connected. And he needed that desperately. He told her about Christian's crush on his daycare lady, and bout Arabella, Liz and Jonas's newborn daughter. Bex and Grant were still trying to deal with Rayleigh and Titan, their twin boys, while Macey and Nick were due in a month and a half. He told her all about his life without her, but he saved the most important thing for last.

"Cam, I'm not going to move on. You are my only one, and you will always be her. But, I'm not going to visit you religiously anymore. I think I need to let you go. So, goodbye. I love you." He said, and slowly walked away, never looking back. As he got into the SUV, he couldn't help feeling satisfied. He knew his Cammie, and he knew that he had just done something she'd been hoping for as she watched him from heaven: let her go.

**LINE BREAK!**

"Da? I want Momma," Three-year-old Christian lisped. Willa was at school, so Zach had taken the day off to spend some time with his young son.

"I do too, Buddy. But your mom is watching us, always," He said, scooping the little boy into his arms and settling on the couch.

"Momma stalker?" Christian asked, horrified.

"NO! She's helping us with our lives," He explained, making a mental note to talk to Willa about what she said around Christian.

"Want piece of Momma," Christian whispered.

"Well, Buddy, you have her eyes," Zach pointed out.

"I do?"

"Yeah. Your eyes are big and blue and beautiful, just like hers," Zach said. "And, you have this." Getting up and setting the little boy on the warm spot where he'd just been, Zach walked off to his bedroom. Coming back, he gave Christian the old gray teddy bear he cradled in his arms.

"This was your mom's, Buddy," He told the wide-eyed little boy.

Christian's face brightened like the sun as Zach handed the bear to him. "Mine?"

"Yeah, Buddy. She would want you to have it," Zach smiled. For a minute, he almost hadn't wanted to give Christian the bear. And then he thought of her, smiling and laughing at him, and knew he was being selfish. Zach had a world of memories Cammie-centered. Christian had nothing. And as he watched the delighted little guy hug the bear to his stomach, he knew he would never regret it again.

**LINE BREAK!**

"Christian! We need to talk!" Zach yelled up the stairs. Christian, now fifteen, ripped his ear buds out and bounded down the stairs.

"Sup, Dad?" He said lazily. Zach motioned for him to take a seat at the old wooden kitchen table.

"Right, so you're going into that age where you start getting romantically involved with others," Zach started awkwardly.

"Dad, I know where babies come from, I've done human growth and development class," Christian blushed.

"No, no. You're dating Sophia, right?" Zach asked. Christian nodded and blushed at the thought of Macey's beautiful, shy daughter. "Well, be careful with her,"

"I know, Macey would catastrate me if I hurt her," Christian said.

"Just let me finish!" Zach said heatedly. God, this was when he wished he had Cammie the most. He could hit a running man at 150 yards with one bullet, but he couldn't talk to his own son. "Look, Christian, you need to be careful with Sophia not just because of The McHenry Monster. You need to be careful because sometimes…" He trailed off. "Sometimes, you don't get the ones you hurt back."

**LINE BREAK!**

"I. Can. Not. Believe. You. Did. That. Willa. Jane. Goode!" Zach growled as he parked the car in front of their house.

"Dad, you need a woman! You can't just live your life alone!" Willa protested.

"So you set me up on a blind date? With your GUIDANCE COUNSELOR?" He said, anger radiating off of him.

"You needed my help! You obviously weren't going to initiate anything on your own!"

"WILLA! DID IT EVER CROSS YOUR MIND THAT MAYBE I DON'T WANT YOUR HELP IN THAT AREA? THAT MAYBE SETTING ME UP WITHOUT MY PERMISSON WAS OVERSTEPPING YOUR BOUNDS? THAT MAYBE I DON'T WANT A WOMAN OR A RELATIONSHIP?" He yelled.

"Dad…"

"Just go in the house, Willa," he said, fighting not to blow up again. He kept calling her Willa, not Wills. Uh Oh.

"Dad…you can't keep living your life in the past! You need to start over! Get a life! Move on!" She pleaded.

Zach turned, a wry smile on his lips. "I'm sorry, Willa. I forgot. You haven't fallen in love yet." She tried to protest, but he didn't let her. "You haven't experienced the passion, the overwhelming feelings that I felt everyday. You don't know how it feels to know that you would give up your life in a second to save hers." He sighed and looked out the window. "She was my life, Wills. Right before she died, she told me that two people couldn't die that day, that I had to be strong and take care of you and Christian. She was so beautiful and strong." He paused as he opened the car door. "She was my Only One."

**A.N. SO what did you think? Did you cry? This is part one of the epilogue, part two will be so much better, I'm sorry, this is long but it's kinda sucky. Review! Please! The more you review, the sooner I press the upload button and you get the last chappie! SO REVIEW!**


	11. Epilouge Part 2

**A.N. I AM SO SORRY THAT I HAVE BEEN AWOL FOR THE PAST WEEKS! YOU ALL ARE PROBABLY LONGING FOR MY BLOOD, BUT…uh, here's your chapter, I'M SO SORRY THAT I LEFT YOU HANGING ON THE LAST CHAPTER! Ugh, I'm a TERRIBLE person. Tear. **

_I'm fifteen for a moment- caught in between ten and twenty and I'm just dreaming…counting the ways to where you are_

Tick. Tock.

The clock read nine o'clock.

Zachary Goode lay in a sterile hospital bed, thinking over the life he'd lived. He'd had a good run. He'd fallen in love. Had kids. Seen their grandchildren. The only dark spot was that his love had gone way before her time. But it didn't matter now. He was going to her.

Finally.

He'd wished it many times before, but somehow, he'd never actually tried to commit suicide. He had to take care of Christian and Willa, for one thing. But somehow, he knew that she wouldn't want it. It would make her unhappy. And even now, lying there, eighty years old, he was still obsessed with making her happy.

Tick. Tock.

The clock read ten thirty.

Willa cried as her adoptive father slept peacefully. At least he would die quietly, soon. No pain. No suffering.

Just death.

Tick. Tock.

The clock read eleven fifteen.

In an hour and forty-five minutes, it would be Cammie's birthday. Her eightieth.

He wondered, suddenly, if she was happy, where she was. If there was light and roses and a stream and all the things she loved.

He was pretty sure they were.

Tick. Tock.

The clock read eleven twenty-five.

"Is Goode gonna be okay, Daddy?" Five-year-old Charlotte asked, looking up at Christian. Sophia held his hand, comforting him soundlessly. He smiled sadly at his wife and slowly brushed his hand over Charlotte's tiny braids.

"I don't think so, baby. I think he's going to have to go soon. "

Tick. Tock.

The clock read eleven fifty five.

Zach lay, peaceful. He was ready. He closed his eyes.

And he was five, crouching in a corner as men in black swarmed over his room, searching for the father he would soon lose.

He was eleven. Holding a gun and shooting a row of dummies point blank in the heart.

He was sixteen, trailing a dirty blonde, laughing girl through the Washington Mall.

He was twenty-five, listening to waves crash on a foamy shore, with the same laughing girl next to him. Feeling a love he'd never felt before. And then, watching it all fade away in one bright beep.

And he was eighty. Lying in a hospital bed and wishing he'd had more time with her. But somewhere, deep inside, he knew he wasn't far away.

_I'm ninety-nine-for a moment…with time for just another moment and I'm just dreaming…counting the ways to where you are. _

And now he was in a bright-lit room. It was airy and fragrant and somehow, he knew he'd finally achieved what he'd secretly been waiting for.

Cammie.

He looked at his arm. The skin was full and taut, stretched over muscle he'd lost only in his death. Somehow, he knew he was twenty-five again. Living the best years of his life for all eternity.

But something was missing.

And then, he heard footsteps. His heart leapt as they grew louder and louder, until finally, he heard it. The sound he'd been longing to hear for fifty-five years.

"I missed you, Blackthorne Boy."

**A.N. And it's over. I'm seriously crying right now, just because I'm going to miss writing this story. **

**Thank you to EVERYONE who ever read this story. And a virtual cookie to everyone who pressed the pretty button below and reviewed for mother. It made me smile a lot. Like, I was pretty much smiling every other second. **


	12. Possible Prequel? PLEASE READ!

**A.N. Okay, so here's the thing: I miss this story. **

**I'd planned to wash my hands of it after chapter 11 and move on. And then I got this review from Karsen Lavette, and I realized, I'm never gonna be done with Only One. **

**I love it too much. **

**I mean, this was my very first fanfic, and it ended up with more than 100 reviews. I wanted to cry when I thought of ending it, but all good things must come to an end, right? **

**Well, maybe not right. **

**I've been thinking, and I kinda want to do a prequel. **

**Like, it would cover how they met, and all the other times Zach cheated, and a buch of other shenanigans, such as: **

**-Cammie getting stalked by a random person, who shall remain nameless. **

**-Mrs. Morgan hating Zach. And, if you notice, you'd think Mrs. Morgan would've been in Only One? But she isn't…..mwahahahahahahahahaha **

**-The Golden Gang being back…. **

**-Zach proposing to Cam….the first time…. **

**And a crapload of other stuff. **

**So tell me if that's something you'd like, just leave a review and tell me. **

**Duses, **

*****Crazy******


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